Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Hey there! I know I promised I was going to have the reveal of MY finished (rental) kitchen....but I got an e-mail from a client with pictures of a project I've been working on since December that I just HAD to share with you! I am just too darn excited! This was a job that I started in California and that we have continued working on via e-mails and phone calls.

My client Julie is a fabulous cake designer from Northern, Ca. She is the only person I use for any of my cakes, she sure is amazing. I have had the pleasure of working with her on two of her homes and love her gorgeous taste and fine craftsmanship. She makes designing extra fun and it is always so exciting to see the rooms unfold into what we had dreamed about.

Before:

In-Progress

We still need to add accessories, hardware and will be adding a black island with a marble counter top.

The marble herringbone back-splash came out exactly how we hoped and having it go all the way to the ceiling adds major dramatic impact.

Now, I have to show you some the incredible work she has done for me....

Above is my fabulous wedding cake, not only beautiful, but delicious!
If you are interested in one of her fine cakes e-mail Julie at
juliakmyers@sbcglobal.net
I can't wait to add the finishing touches to Miss Julie's kitchen and show you the rest of her home that she has been working so hard on!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Well hello, hello! Is everyone enjoying their Memorial Day?? As I said in my last post I am SO grateful for the men, women and their families, who sacrifice everything for our freedom!

Our home is slowly coming together since we received our things this past week! One of the rooms that is completed, for now, is the striped hall. To learn how to do the stripes yourself click here. Our front door opens directly into our kitchen and there isn't a lot of space for storage at all. We decided to turn the hall that leads from the kitchen to the bath into a welcoming little walkway with storage for shoes, gloves, umbrellas and as a display for some of our funky finds. I realized there were many things that we were going to have to purchase for our home. Instead of spending money getting pictures printed and a new table for the space, we decided to use the things we already had. It's all about re-purposing the junk you already have, my dear friends! Our home will always be a "work in progress," I enjoy discovering and collecting things along the way.

This is my concept and idea board for the hall.

Here is after!

Even though I changed a few things, the "feel" of the space is the same! I haven't found a sunburst mirror, but love the round clock instead. The cabinet was a cruddy one we got at Walmart before we left, but with a few fancy things on top and inside of it, it looks pretty slick!

The wine crate is from a wine festival here in Germany! It is perfect for storing shoes, umbrellas, gloves etc.

The shot below is looking into the hall from the kitchen.

The vintage crystal chandelier is a fabulous and very inexpensive German flea market find!

I made these silhouettes before we left California and really liked how they looked against the grey and cream stripes. I was only going to use the silhouettes temporarily until we printed off some images from our trips, but we ended up liking them so much in the hall, they may just end up staying there!

I have learned a lot about my own personal style while working on this home. I found that I fancy a nice blend of every style. If things start looking too antique-y I like to throw in something clean and contemporary. If things look too feminine, I'll add something rustic and more masculine... A nice balance of all styles is what is pleasing to my eyes, and makes things livable and comfortable for my family. I have also recently discovered I don't like things that match. I like things to go together and compliment each other, but don't like things to match perfectly. I am most comfortable in a space that looks like things have been collected over time, not all ordered out of a catalog. After all, that's what makes each space charming and unique to the people living there.Thanks for checking out my hall!